Dynamic Duo: Mainland's Hadley, White hope to build off big night

Monday

Nov 19, 2012 at 7:45 PM

Cameron Hadley returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and was 16 of 35 passing for 387 yards and five touchdowns, and David White had eight catches for 260 yards and four touchdowns in the Buccaneers' 49-42 win over Lakeland Lake Gibson Friday.

BRIAN LINDERSTAFF WRITER

DAYTONA BEACH -- Just call Cameron Hadley and David White the Mainland Buccaneers' “Dynamic Duo.”They certainly filled that role in the Buccaneers' playoff opening, 49-42, win over Lakeland Lake Gibson Friday. Hadley – who surpassed 100 career touchdowns in the game – returned a punt 67 yards for a score and was 16 of 35 passing for 387 yards and five touchdowns. White was his main target – hauling in eight passes for 260 yards and four touchdowns.Mainland senior defensive tackle Jontey Byrd has no problem bestowing the title upon his teammates.“I have never seen anything like what they did,” Byrd said. “Not in high school. It was amazing.”The question now is can the pair repeat their performance in Friday's second-round game at Winter Haven? Count Byrd as one who would not mind seeing them do it all again.“I've been watching Cameron do this since we were 8-years-old because we were always on the same teams,” Byrd said. “David White, this is his first year playing varsity football so for him to come and do this is pretty exciting to watch.”Hadley said the path to the big performance began in the film room. “Watching film, we knew they were going to play man on our receivers,” he said. “We felt we could take advantage of that.“As practice went on for the full week, (White) had a different look in his eyes,” he continued. “He just had the determination to go out there and prove to everyone that he could play football.”White, who stands 5-foot-11 and describes himself as a “possession receiver with speed,” came into the game with just 12 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns. But when Lakeland Lake Gibson manned up on him, the stage was set for his big night. “We got him matched up, and he was hot at that point and time,” Mainland head coach Scott Wilson said. “And we kept going back to him because he never really cooled down.”White said that Hadley's running threat – he entered the game with 572 rushing yards – helped open things up down the field. It is a scenario that he believes could play out again against Winter Haven.But Hadley sees things differently – even declining to embrace the “Dynamic Duo” idea. “(Winter Haven) is going to look at the film and be like, ‘OK, we have to stop (White),' ” he said. “And that is OK with us because we have other good receivers and that will just leave things open for them.”He just might be a bit more inclined to look White's way from now on.“I think (he will) be looking for me,” White said. “And, I'm real happy about that because right now I have a lot of confidence.”